A lad who was dubbed 'Little Hercules' at the age of eight due to his extraordinary physique looks a lot different these days.
Richard Sandrak shot to fame as a youngster thanks to his incredible weightlifting abilities, but he has since revealed that his childhood wasn't all that it seemed.
The Ukrainian-American is the son of martial arts world champ Pavel Sandrak and aerobics star Lena Sandrak, who actively encouraged him to push his body to the limits.
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As a kid, Richard followed a strict exercise regime as he 'wanted to join in' with his father's workouts, which involved doing up to 600 push-ups and sit-ups a day, as well as 300 squats.
He exercised every day since he was five, was able to bench press three times his own body weight and had eight-pack abs - so it's no wonder the world was enthralled by this juvenile's story.
As a result of his intense training, it was reported that the young weightlifter possessed just one percent of body fat at one point - which is dangerously low.
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Richard's parents received a lot of backlash after a documentary about his prowess in the gym was released in 2005, while medical professionals suggested that a child of his age wouldn't be capable of producing enough testosterone to get the staggering size he had grown to.
They suggested he might have been using steroids - something which is obviously highly advised against for children - though his mother Lena continuously denied those claims.
Richard, who was crowned the 'World's Strongest Boy', carried on working on his muscle mass into his teen years and even branched out to become a master of karate.
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But now, aged 32, the kid once known as Little Hercules is barely recognisable, as he turned his back on the bodybuilding world - instead setting his sights on his 'dream job' at NASA.
The former fitness buff still stays in good shape, but he isn't interested in resembling a mythological god famed for his strength and heroism.
In a new interview, Richard has since revealed that he has been sober for over a year after struggling with alcoholism - and he's now ready to lift the lid on the reality of growing up as the 'World's Strongest Boy'.
He explained that he 'can't relate' to people who look back on their childhoods fondly, as he claimed that his was full of 'physical and emotional abuse' at the hands of his father Pavel.
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Richard alleged that he was forced to practice martial arts and lift weights for up to 'eight hours a day' and was only allowed a 'diet of pure clean eating', saying that he was effectively held like a prisoner by his parents.
"My father would often go into rage fits and what would start as a normal workout ended up with me doing a triple split kick for 12 hours," he told Metro.
"There were more times than I can count where a simple training session turned into what felt like a really intense hostage situation."
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He claims he couldn't even watch TV without being pressured to do squats - and although he didn't even desire a bodybuilding career, he alleged he was 'physically beaten into it'.
Richard went on: "My dad was very abusive. I learned early on not to ask to stop. You grit your teeth and keep doing what you’re told.
"It was a very confusing childhood. I don’t recall too many pleasant memories, until after my dad left."
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The former gym buff reported his father to the police in 2003 after he launched a particularly violent assault on his mum, resulting in Pavel being jailed and deported from the US to the Ukraine.
"It’s been a breath of fresh air ever since," Richard said, explaining that he then finally had the freedom to pursue his own passions, rather than those of his parents.
Revealing why he ditched his promising career in the bodybuilding world, he added: "Weightlifting was almost like PTSD in a sense. It was connected to my past. I got tired of everything being based around my body."
Richard now resides in Los Angeles with his lawyer girlfriend and two cats, while working as a retail manager - and most importantly, he is 'happy with the person he is today'.
Topics: World News, Parenting, Viral, Mental Health
Olivia Burke